Tag: writing

The exciting day is finally here! Dead Batteries Tell No Tales: A Prequel to Five High School Dialogues is out!

Here is the synopsis:

Public transportation is a new experience for Amber. So is not having access to a cell phone. Luckily, a classmate named Jason is there to help. During their travel, Amber quickly learns that her perspectives on life aren’t quite the same as her peers. As they make their way home, they try to break down the foundation of their social structure in this exciting prequel to Five High School Dialogues.

The Dialogues are truly a unique series in today’s market. This book is perfect for high school students and their families. I encourage you to pick up a copy for the low price of $1.99 on kindle!

Thank you for the support!

Here is the buy link for amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Dead-Batteries-Tell-Tales-Dialogues-ebook/dp/B01CVTBPG0/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1458934346&sr=1-1

And for Five High School Dialogues: http://www.amazon.com/Five-School-Dialogues-Thomas-Malone-ebook/product-reviews/B01BLPTGHU/ref=cm_cr_dp_synop?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0&sortBy=recent#R25EXMKIGX3U6J

When I was faced with the decision as to how to spend my summer in 2010 after my freshman year at Boston College, I decided I wanted to do something a little different. As I say in Five College Dialogues and Five More College Dialogues, those four years are best spent outside one’s comfort zone. On the recommendation of a friend, I enrolled at the Ted Bardy Acting Studio in New York City.

The Ted Bardy Acting Studio is world renowned for its curriculum, The Meisner Technique, named for its architect, Sanford Meisner, who was part of the legendary Group Theatre back in the 1930s, which also included Lee Strasberg and Stella Adler. Repetition, a core pillar of The Meisner Technique, ended up drastically transforming the way I approached writing.

It’s a bizarre and practically unexplainable concept, so here is a video of repetition in action with Sanford Meisner himself, courtesy of Contemporary Arts Media:

Repetition is simple in nature and yet painfully difficult at the same time. It requires the participants to be fully active in the exercise, but not in a way that artificially steers the course of the “conversation.” Laughter is common and perhaps crucial to understand the concept.

One bit of advice offered by Ted Bardy and fellow teacher Glen Vincent in practically every class was to avoid using “tit for tat,” in repetition. I found this bit of advice to be crucial in writing my dialogue. People and characters need to respond to what’s been said to them. They don’t need to spit it back in the other person’s face.

That’s the inherent difficulty in writing fictional conversation. Unlike practicing repetition, scripted dialogue is created with specific purpose. The dialogues in FCD and FMCD are thematic in nature as the characters are there to discuss a specific topic. The flow of conversation needs to serve the purpose of the dialogue, but it needs to be real. When characters speak to each other, they need to process what’s been said.

Writing and acting are obviously very different, but they share one important similarity. Both mediums set out to make the inorganic real. When an actor is performing, it is their job to extract genuine emotion out of a scripted scenario. When I set out to write a dialogue, I need to take my characters on a purpose driven journey that resonates with the readers.

FCD & FMCD are unusual books because they’re all dialogue. I found that what I’d learned from Meisner Technique played perfectly into Socratic Method as I could implement repetition in my efforts to create authentic contemporary Socratic Dialogue. The characters constantly question each other but they aren’t merely working to advance the subject matter. Repetition helped me to avoid something that came across as stale and inorganic, even if you may not commonly find students walking around casually conversing in Socratic Dialogue.

Which is why I recommend that all artists dabble in forms outside of their comfort zones. I haven’t done many auditions since my time at the Ted Bardy Acting Studio. If that doesn’t change, I’ll still be forever grateful for the lessons I learned. Creating emotion requires immersion. To achieve immersion, you need depth and that’s only possible if you push your limits. I’m of the belief that creating art must at least be a little scary. Whether or not I was successful with that is up to you, the reader.

My first book and its sequel have been rereleased! To celebrate, both books are .99 cents on kindle for the week. Join the fun and support the founder of A Song of Books and Whiskey

Five College Dialogues is a philosophic comedic treatise on college life told through the eyes of George Tecce, a graduate student working as a teaching assistant for an eccentric English professor. Told through Socratic dialogue, George, his students, and his mentor explore all the ins and outs of college life as they examine the state of post-millennial academia. Humorous and thought provoking, the Dialogues are the perfect resource for students, especially those with a philosophy requirement, as well as anyone who wants to relive their four years in an entertaining fashion.

“A must read for students and nostalgic alumni”

Five More College Dialogues follows George Tecce’s return to academia as he travels to the West Coast to pursue his Ph.D. The intriguing graduate student is teaching a class on his own for the first time. George continues to help students navigate the ins and outs of college life while poking fun at the often-fickle nature of the collegiate system. He mentors them in a range of diverse subjects including social dynamics, resume building, and relationships. The learning doesn’t stop in the classroom as George even makes his way to a party! Humorous and philosophical, the Dialogues are a perfect resource for students to maximize their college experience.

Early Praise:
“Ian Thomas Malone has written the next must have, “how to guide” for college survival. He breaks down complex college issues with simple rapport. I wish something like this was written when I went to college and will make sure my two daughters have it packed in their trunks when they leave for school.”
–Sasha, Amazon Reviewer

“Ian Thomas Malone has written an accessible beginners’ guide for college students – and possibly those who pay the bills – that suggests as much how to ask questions as how to get the answers. Malone shows the continued relevance of Socratic dialogue as a tool to move the reader in small questions, and the choice itself of Socratic dialogue points readers to methods and opinions that beg to be remembered. Through well-penned contemporary dialogue and lighthearted examination of common opinions, Malone offers insights that young and old students will find funny and valuable, if not always comforting. Malone’s captivating style establishes an enjoyable pace, and Malone’s unique, often ironic, exploration of college life in America, and its frightening shallows (of which there are many), enlightens as well as entertains.”
–J. Eric, Amazon Reviewer

“An excellent series of dialogues giving an accurate portrayal of the issues a typical college freshman will face.” –Maura, Amazon Reviewer

About the author:
Ian Thomas Malone, a graduate of Boston College, founded the publication The Rock at Boston College. He is a certified yoga instructor and a Meisner trained actor. Ian will be pursuing a Masters in English Literature at Claremont Graduate University starting fall 2015, where he has been awarded a writing fellowship. A lifelong resident, Ian lives in Greenwich, CT with his golden retriever Georgie.

“I wrote The Dialogues as both a resource for current students and a humorous reflection for alumni. You’ll find plenty of information out there that tells you how to survive college, but few that really tell you how to enjoy it. The Dialogues explain college in a way that no RA would think to tell you.” -Malone

Ever since I was a little girl, I can remember being pulled in by the words weaved in pages of the books I read. Whether it was The Chronicles of Narnia drawing me into a spectacular fantasy world, or The Silver Kiss introducing me to the darker side of fiction… I was always wrapped in a story.

As I grew up, I found many other passions – music, theater, writing, and art. I dove into everything, devouring the artistic world as I tried to find my way in life. I moved into the corporate world as I aged, managing bigger and bigger stores – learning the behind the scenes of the businesses I worked in.

I have always been drawn to the literary world, as both a reader and a writer. My family has deep roots in the written word… One of my cousins has had several works published and was an editor for one of the Big 5 for many, many years; another is a successful screenwriter and author. They have been my idols of sort, people deeply involved in a business that I had always wanted to focus on.

After 11 years of managing highly successful businesses for others, I finally decided to take a step back. I had had enough of seeing other’s businesses grow, and wanted to do something for myself. I started out slowly, a freelance editor and reviewer for many international companies – as well as the occasional self published author here and there.

Then it hit me.

I have spent the last decade managing high volume businesses.

My husband has two bachelor’s degrees in finance & accounting and international business.

With my background working in both the corporate and art world joined with my husband’s business ability – I knew I was in the perfect place to launch a brand new company.

So I did… I took what had begun as a hobby book blog (European Geeks in Rural America) and spun it into a brand new small publishing company: European Geeks Publishing.

As someone who has been on both sides of the bar – both in the business world and the art world – I have a leg up on those who are solely from the business side of it. I understand what it’s like to be the creator of work as well as the producer and manager. This allows us to sympathize with our authors. We support our authors. And we work as partners with our authors, to make sure they are happy from the start all the way up to the release of their work, and beyond.

One of the biggest reasons I decided to start European Geeks Publishing was to help authors. There are so many fantastic novels that have been sitting on someone’s desk, or in a slush pile, completely ignored and unattended. I wanted to help get more of these out to the public. I wanted to help support the authors who felt ignored or bullied by their current publishers, or lost in the world of Self-Publishing.

I wanted European Geeks to become THE author friendly place to go… to be home to those who live for their art, who take pride in their words, and enjoy being involved in every step of the process.

To do this, we focus on a smaller catalogue than most publishers, allowing us to really focus on our authors throughout the entire process. We can provide everything from start to finish – and we keep our authors in the loop, allowing them to have approval and input every step of the way.

This has gotten our name out fairly quickly – and we’ve been seeing some great results.

Within a matter of three months, we had submissions pouring in. We’ve released a children’s book, a science fiction novella, and a Young Adult Time Travel novel within that three month period and have another dark fantasy novel in the editing stage at the moment – due out at the end of this fall.

We’ve had a very busy three months… and we’re only going to get busier from here.